Abstract:Objective: To assess the effect of Gusong II in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis and try to reveal its mechanism.Methods: Thirty-five women, 49 to 62 years old, with 5.6 years menopause, were treated as the subjects and followed-up for 6 months, 12 months or 24 months. The course of treatment ranged from 6 months to 25 months with an average of 14 months. Some related biochemical parameters, such as serum estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), the ratio of fasting urinary calcium to creatinine (Ca/Cr), the ratio of 24h urinary calcium to creatinine (24h Ca/Cr), 24h urinary E2, and 24h urinary hydroxyproline (HOP) were measured before and after treatment.Results: After 6~9 months or 1~2 years of treatment, the levels of serum E2 and 24h urinary E2 were raised significantly, while the levels of serum T and urinary Ca/Cr fell evidently after one or two year’s treatment. The levels of serum E2 and 24h urinary E2 were significantly correlated with the levels of fasting urinary Ca/Cr, 24h urinary Ca/Cr, serum T, and 24h urinary HOP respectively.Conclusions: Gusong-II can elevate the serum E2 levels of postmenopausal women, reduce the discharge of urinary calcium and HOP, and inhibit bone resorption. The rise of the serum E2 level might be correlated with the conversion of T to E2.  
Abstract:Objective: To assess the effects of Xianzhen tablet (XZT) on Na+-K+-ATPase and Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase on erythrocytic membranes, viscosity of whole blood, plasma glucose and clinical manifestations.Methods: Seventy-two cases of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients with deficiency of both Qi and Yin, deficiency of the Kidney and blood stasis were selected, and the effects of treatment on Na+ K+ -ATPase, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase, whole blood viscosity, blood sugar and clinical symptoms were observed.Results: In XZT group (test group), activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -Mg2+ -ATPase rose significantly (P < 0.01,P < 0.05) after treatment. Viscosity of whole blood and clinical manifestations also improved obviously. The total effective rate in lowering plasma glucose was 77.8% with fasting blood glucose (FBG) and 69. 4% with 2 hours postprandial plasma blood glucose (2°PBG). In the control group, viscosity of whole blood and clinical manifestations had no significant improvement. Its total effective rate in lowering plasma glucose was 41.7% with FBG and 38.9% with 2°PBG.Conclusions: XZT played a certain role in increasing activities of Na+ -K+ -ATPase and Ca2+ -Mg2+ -ATPase, decreasing viscosity of whole blood and plasma glucose and improving clinical manifestations. Therefore, XZT was experimentally manifested as an effective drug in treating NIDDM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency, renal deficiency and blood stasis.  
Keywords:non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus;erythrocytic membrane;Na+ -K+-ATPase;Ca2+-Mg2+ -ATPase;viscosity of whole blood
Abstract:Objective: To study the curative effect of Chinese medicines in treating severe cholestatic hepatitis (SCH).Methods: Three hundred and fifty patients of SCH with total bilirubin level 171 μmol/L were treated with Chinese medicines. Those with Blood Stasis Syndrome were treated with the recipe mainly consisting of Radix Paeoniae Rubra, and those accompanied by blood Heat, fluid retention in the epigastric region, dampness disseminated in Sanjiao (
) or Yang deficiency of both Spleen and Kidney were treated with recipe modified according to the symptoms and signs.Results: The treatment was markedly effective in 288 cases and effective in 26 cases, the total effective rate being 89.7%.Conclusion: It is difficult to treat severe cholestatic hepatitis, es pecially the chronic cholestatic good effect of Chinese herbal medicine in eliminating jaundice.  
Keywords:viral hepatitis;intrahepatic cholestasis;blood stasis and blood Heat;cool down blood Heat and activate blood circulation
Abstract:Objective: To evaluate the role of rhubarb in treating infantile cholestatic hepatitis syndrome (ICHS).Methods: Forty-four patients of the treatment group were treated with rhubarb taken orally and (or) by duodenal infusion, 20 cases of the control group were treated with general liver protecting therapy such as inosine, vitamin C and glucose. Serum bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase level, bilirubin in duodenal juice and liver size were observed before and after treatment.Results: In the treatment group, 18 cases were markedly effective, 21 effective, 3 ineffective and 2 deteriorated, while in the control group, the respective numbers were 0, 4, 13 and 3. Conclusion: Rhubarb was markedly effective in cholagoging and abating jaundice, it could promote the recovery of liver function, dredge the cholestasis in cholangiole and micro-cholangiole so as to promote the bile secretion.  
Abstract:Objective: To observe the curative effects of Jiajian Huaban decoction (
) and Zhibai Dihuang decoction (
) in the treatment of exudative central chorioretinitis.Methods: Forty-nine eyes (47 patients) with exudative central chorioretinitis were treated with Jiajian Huaban Decoction in the period of active stage of inflammation and with Zhibai Dihuang Decoction in the period of retrograde stage. The curative effects were evaluated according to fluorescin fundus angiography and their visual functions.Results: The average period of treatment was 4 months. Forty-three eyes among the 49 were effective and the effective rate was 87.75%.Conclusion: Jiajian Huaban Decoction and Zhibai Dihuang Decoction could promote visual acuity and shorten the period of disease in the treatment of exudative central chorioretinitis.  
Keywords:exudative central chorioretinitis;Jiajian Huaban decoction;Zhibai Dihuang decoction
Abstract:Objective: To observe the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with optic atrophy and the change of their visual electrophysiology.Methods: Thirty-six patients (63 eyes) with optic atrophy were treated with acupuncture. The visual acuity and flash visual evoked potential (F-VEP) before and after treatment were compared.Results: The visual acuity of 46 eyes among 63 eyes (73 %) was improved. The average amplitude of F-VEP increased (P < 0.05).Conclusion: Acupuncture can be used in the treatment of optic atrophy.  
Abstract:Objective: To investigate pancreatic ischemia and abnormal metabolism of eicosanoids in acute haemorrhagic necrotizing pancreatitis (AHNP) and the effects of emodin or sandostatin on them. Methods: In rats with AHNP triggered with sodium taurocholate, the pancreatic blood flow (PBF) was detected with computerized tissue blood flowmeter, and plasma thromboxane B2(TXB2), 6-keto-prostaglandin Fla(6-keto-PGF1a) and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) were determined with radioimmunoassay. Results: There was a significant decrease of PBF in the early stage of AHNP. Compared with that in the non-treated group, significant improvement of PBF was demonstrated in emodin as well as in sandostatin group which showed reduced PBF following infusion of sandostatin before AHNP was triggered. In the non-treated group, plasma TXB2 was significantly higher, with an increase of 4.5 times, than that in sham-operated group, while 6-keto-PGF1a and PGE2 tended to decrease. The above mentioned abnormal metabolism of eicosanoids was blocked either in emodin or in sandostatin group in which lessened damage of acinar cells was shown by pathologic scoring or transmission electron microscope. Both groups shared significantly lower mortalities than the non-treated group. Conclusions: Either emodion or sandostatin could partly reverse the decrease of PBF in the early stage of AHNP, which may be ascribed at least in part to inhibition of abnormal metabolism of eicosanoids and improvement of pancreatic cytoprotection, and combined application of the two drugs is likely to have synergetic action.  
Abstract:Objective: To reveal the central mechanism of acupuncture on the central nervous system. Methods: Excitatory amino acids (EAAs) were determined in cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striate body of left side by Shimadzu LC-6A HPLC. Results: Metabolic disorder existed in excitatory amino acids: The content of Glu, Gln, Asp and Asn in hippocampus and striate body were generally increased (P < 0.05, orP < 0.01), the content of Asn in cerebral cortex was also increased (P < 0.01). The changes of inhibited amino acids (IAAs) to certain extent also existed in the three regions but without regularity. Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture method could obviously reduce the levels of Glu, Asp, Gln and Asn in hippocampus and striate body and the levels of Asn and Gln in cerebral cortex of senescence accelerate mouse P/8 (SAM-P/8). The non-acupoint acupuncture method did not exert obvious effects on Glu and Asp which was quite different from Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture effects. Conclusions: (1) The hypermetabolism of EAAs existed in the brain of SAM-P/8, which could be regarded as the important pathological mechanism of disorder in study and memory and cerebral atrophy. (2) Xingnao Kaiqiao acupuncture method could obviously regulate the abnormal metabolism of cerebral EAAs, which could be regarded as one of the mechanisms of acupuncture effects on improving brain function. (3) Acupuncture effect has remarkable’ specificity of acupoint.  
Abstract:Objective: To study the effect of Reduqing (RDQ) Injection on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced tissue factor and cytokine production in whole blood. Methods: Heparinized human blood was incubated with LPS in the presence or absence of RDQ. The plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and the monocyte tissue factor activity was measured by a one-stage tissue factor induced plasma clotting time assay. Results: RDQ was found to diminish the LPS-induced increase of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in plasma but did not completely abolish their production. In contrast to the effect on these cytokines, RDQ caused further increase of the plasma level of IL-8 and the monocyte TF activity in the presence of LPS. Conclusions: In the in vitro whole blood assay system used in this study, the decrease of LPS-induced production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 was similar to a previousin vivo study on the effect of RDQ on the production of these cytokines in response to two-time LPS injection in rabbits, while the increase of IL-8 and TF production was contradictory to the previous in vivo study. Potential reasons contributing to the differences are discussed.